GROUP :
MICHAEL DONALD B. ELGA
CONDITIONA
L
CONDITIONAL TENSE
are used to speculate about
what could;
• Happen
• what might have happened;
• and what we wish could
happen.
Many conditional forms in English are used
in sentences that include verbs in one of the
past tenses. This usage is referred to as “the
unreal past” because we use a past tense but
we are not actually referring to something that
happened in the past
There are five main ways of
constructing conditional sentences in
English. In all cases , these sentences are
made up of an if clause and a main
clause.
In many negative conditional
sentences, there is an equivalent
sentence construction using “unless”
instead of “if”
Conditional
Sentence type Usage If clause verb
tense
ZERO General truths Simple
Present
SIMPLE PRESENT
TYPE 1 A possible condition and it’s Simple SIMPLE FUTURE
probable result Present
TYPE 2 A hypothetical condition and its Simple
probable result
PRESENT CONDITIONAL OR
PRESENT CONTINOUS
past
TYPE 3 An unreal past condition and its
probable result in the past.
Past PERFECT CONDITIONAL
Perfect
MIXED An unreal past condition and it’s
probable result in the present.
Past PRESENT CONDITIONAL
TYPE Perfect
THE ZERO CONDITIONAL
Is used for when the time being referred
to is now or always and the situation is
real and possible. The zero conditional is
often used to refer to general truths.
The tense in both parts of the sentences is the
simple present. In zero conditional sentences,
the word “if” can usually be replaced by the
word “when” without changing the meaning.
If clause Main clause
if + simple present Simple present
If this thing happens that thing happens.
If you heat ice It melts.
If it rains the grass gets wet.
Is used to refer to the present or future
where the situation is real. The type 1
conditional refers to a possible condition and
it’s probable result. In these sentences the if
clause is in the simple present, and the main
clause is in the simple future.
If clause Main clause
If + simple present Simple future
If this thing happens that thing will happen.
If you don’t hurry you will miss the train.
If it rains today You will get wet.
TYPE 2 CONDITIONAL
Is used to refer to a time is now or
anytime, and a situation that is unreal. These
sentences are not based on fact. The type 2
conditional is used to refer to a hypothetical
condition and its probable result.
In type 2 conditional sentences, the if clause
uses the simple fast, and the main clause uses
to present conditional.
If clause Main clause
If + simple fast Present conditional or present continuous
conditional
If this thing happened That thing would happen or that thing
would be happening
If you went to bed earlier You would not to be tired.
If it rained You would get wet
If I spoke Italian I would be working in Italy
TYPE 3 CONDITIONAL
Is used to refer to a time that is in the
past, and situation that is contrary to
reality. The facts they are based on are the
opposite of what is expressed.
The type 3 conditional is used to refer to
an unreal past condition and its probable
past result. In type 3 conditional sentences,
the if clause uses the past perfect, and the
main clause uses the perfect conditional.
If clause Main clause
If + past perfect Perfect conditional or perfect
continuous conditional.
If this thing happened That thing would have happened.(but neither of
those things really happened) or that thig would
have been happening.
If you had studied harder You would have passed the exam.
If it had rained You would have gotten wet.
If I had accepted that promotion I would have been working in Milan.
MIXED TYPE
CONDITIONAL
Is used to refer to a time that is in the
past, and a situation that is ongoing into the
present. The facts they are based on are the
opposite of what is expressed.
The mixed type conditional is used to refer to
an unreal past condition and its probable result
in the present. In mixed type conditional
sentences, the if clause uses the past perfect,
and the main clause uses the present
conditional.
If clause Main clause
If + past perfect or simple fast Present conditional or a perfect
conditional
If this thing had happened That thing would happened. (but this
thing didn’t happen so that thing isn’t
happening)
If I had worked harder at school I would have a better job now.
If we had looked at the map We wouldn’t be lost.
If you weren’t afraid of the spiders You would have a picked it up and put
it outside.
